George R.R. Martin is goofing off on Twitter and fans think it could mean his next book is done

George R.R. Martin's official Twitter account has only been used for generic announcements in the past.

Now he's using it to tweet ironic thoughts about fans' criticism of him.

Martin also posted a meme of himself wearing a hat sideways that says "wazzzuuuppp" with the caption "my publishers say I have to start trying to appeal to a younger audience."

The combination of Martin meeting with his publishers and letting loose on Twitter has fans hoping "The Winds of Winter" is finished.

But Martin said before that he would tells fans right away when he's done.

Author George R.R. Martin is best known for his "A Song of Ice and Fire" series that became the basis for HBO's hit "Game of Thrones." Until now, Martin exclusively used his LiveJournal account to post detailed updates about his life, projects, football thoughts, and — of course — progress on the next book in his series, "The Winds of Winter."

Though Martin has had a verified Twitter account for some time, the author has said in the past that it was never "him" on that account, just "minions and his publishers."

But all that could now be changing.

Martin personally posted two new tweets

On April 10, one of those general tweets went out again (this time a link to a new LiveJournal post). But then, Martin posted a follow up to the tweet.

"I wonder what my fans will be talking about in the comments today?" Martin said. "Oh ... right ... The same ultra motivational speeches I get every day ... Yay!"

The biggest clues that point to TWOW being finished

If we eliminate the hacking theory, then one of the two remaining options is much more appealing to fans. People want to believe TWOW is finished and ready to be handed off to publishers. After all, fans were expecting to have the book years ago.

"Not done yet, but I've made progress," Martin replied. "But not as much as I hoped a year ago, when I thought to be done by now. I think it will be out this year. (But hey, I thought the same thing last year)."

Another big clue fans are latching onto is Martin's previous mention of deadlines from his publishers.

Martin referenced his publishers when he posted the "wazzzuuuppp" picture, which has some people hoping that means they were meeting about TWOW.

Martin once said that his publishers need about three months in order to get the book printed and on shelves. As of April 12, we're just shy of three months away from season seven of "Game of Thrones" premiering.

Since the show is beginning to spoil some of Martin's book storylines, it would make sense for the author to get TWOW out before the new season airs.

But none of this is conclusive evidence

As just one discussion thread in the "A Song of Ice and Fire" subreddit will show you, Martin's devoted fans have trouble agreeing on any single theory for what's causing Martin's new Twitter tactic. And as many pointed out, Martin said before that he will announce the completion of TWOW on his LiveJournal as soon as he's done. Here's a segment from that 2014 blog post:

I've said before, and I will say again, I don't play games with news about the books. I know how many people are waiting, how long they have been waiting, how anxious they are. When [TWOW is] done, I will announce it here. There won't be any clues to decipher, any codes or hidden meanings, the announcement will be straightforward and to the point.

Wouldn't posting joke tweets count as playing games? Maybe. But maybe Martin has changed his mind about this policy in the last few years.

The truth is no one except Martin knows the latest news when it comes to TWOW. That won't stop fans from analyzing every public move he makes in the meantime, but it should serve as a cautious reminder to us all.

Maybe Martin is just having some well-earned fun with his Twitter followers. Maybe we're on a brink of hearing the biggest "Game of Thrones"-related news since Jon Snow was confirmed as alive.